New Zealand's fifth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan is currently in development.
The OGP is a multilateral initiative which promotes the principles of open government. These are transparency, citizen participation and public accountability.
The key element of OGP membership is to prepare a ‘National Action Plan’ which contains commitments to advance open government. New Zealand has been a member since 2013 and we have submitted 4 national action plans so far.
The Minister for the Public Service leads OGP in New Zealand. The Commission supports the Minister in this role.
For NAP5 the Minister for the Public Service has asked us to use the Commission’s Integrity Action Plan to guide commitment development. There are 4 focus areas in the Integrity Action Plan:
- Resetting expected standards and improving agency practice;
- Strengthening conflict of interest management;
- Improving how complaints are handled; and
- Advancing our commitments to reduce corruption and fraud
The Minister and the Commission think these focus areas align well with open government, and provide ample opportunity to develop commitments.
You can find more information about the Commission's integrity action plan below.
Action plan to strengthen Public Service integrity
We want to hear what you think New Zealand can do to achieve our open government goals. The best way to do that is by attending our online workshops on 11 and 23 September. We will have an independent facilitator who will help us to share ideas and develop our commitments.
We think 4 commitments is a good goal, and it is likely that the Commission will lead at least 2. We want to hear from you and are open to putting a variety of ideas forward to the Minister, including those not supported by government agencies. But at the end of the day, we will need agency buy-in and Ministerial agreement for implementation.
We want your input in designing commitments, the milestones, and measuring effectiveness and performance. There may also be opportunities for involvement in delivery, depending on the commitment.
We are working to learn from the observations that the Independent Reporting Mechanism made on our last action plan. A key lesson is that we need to focus on open communication with our stakeholders. A change to support this is that the final NAP5 will be approved by the Minister for the Public Service instead of Cabinet. This means that we can share more of the final advice to the Minister with you, as we will not be bound by Cabinet confidentiality rules.
Message from the Minister for the Public Service
New Zealanders deserve a government they can trust – one that’s open, transparent and accountable in everything it does.
These are not just buzz words – they are principles I believe in and am committed to putting into practice.
I’m pleased to announce that New Zealand will shortly begin development of our fifth National Action Plan under the Open Government Partnership. Cabinet has asked me to lead this process and I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas.
I think the best way to start this conversation is to look at the four key focus areas in the Public Service Commission’s integrity action plan. They are:
- Resetting expected standards and improving agency practice;
- Strengthening conflict of interest management;
- Improving how complaints are handled; and
- Advancing our commitments to reduce corruption and fraud
These priorities align closely with the principles of open government – and I will be using them to guide our consultation to shape the next National Action Plan.
For me, integrity, transparency and public trust are not just ideals – they are the foundation of good government. And that is what we are here to deliver.
Hon Judith Collins KC
Minister for the Public Service
How to get involved
Information session
Thursday 4 September from 1:30pm to 2:30pm
On 4 September, we hosted an online information session about the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and New Zealand’s approach to developing our fifth national action plan (NAP5). We have published the questions and answers on our website below.
Workshop 1
Thursday 11 September from 10:00am to 12:30pm
On 11 September, we hosted the first online workshop to develop NAP5. We used the focus areas in the Commission's Integrity Action Plan to guide our conversation, and heard from civil society, public servants, and individuals on the ideas they have for advancing open government in New Zealand. A record of that discussion is below.
Workshop 1 record of discussion
Workshop 2
Tuesday 23 September from 1:00pm to 3:30pm
We will be hosting a second online workshop for anyone who would like to get involved in or share their ideas on the Fifth National Action Plan.
An independent facilitator will lead this workshop and help us to work together to co-create our commitments. We will have time for introductions and general discussion before splitting into virtual breakout rooms for more detailed discussions. A list of idea and prompts for further developing our ideas from workshop 1 is below.
Ideas for development in workshop 2
To join the workshops, please register via email. We will send video conferencing details to registered attendees closer to the date.
If you’re unable to join the workshops but would like to share your ideas with us, please send us an email.
How to receive updates
You can stay updated on our progress by checking this website, following us on social media, or signing up to our OGP mailing list.
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Our action plan timeline
The goal we are working towards is submitting a new national action plan to OGP before 31 December 2025.
September/October 2025
Over September and October, we will be working with you to gather ideas for commitments. Our workshops will be the main way we do that – if you haven’t already please pre-register so we can send you information about joining.
We also welcome written input at any time, and you can reach us directly at our email address.
After the second workshop we will take a few weeks to process the ideas we receive and think about how they might come together as an action plan. During this time, we will keep you updated via our newsletter and social media, and we will reach out directly to clarify your input and test our thinking.
After this we will brief the Minister for the Public Service to ensure her ongoing support of this work. We will also do a round of feedback within the public service so that agencies and Ministers can have input on ideas that are relevant to their portfolios.
October/November 2025
From mid October and into November we will be publishing our responses to your input online and inviting ongoing feedback. During this time, we hope to have a firm idea of our commitments and to continue getting your input on how they will be presented and implemented.
We will have another workshop in November where we can discuss a draft of the final plan. Together, we will look at the plan as a whole and make any final changes.
December 2025
In early December, we will submit the final action plan to the Minister for the Public Service for approval then send it on to OGP. Cabinet has agreed that the Minister can approve the final plan.
FAQ
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What are your plans for introducing a multi-stakeholder forum? Is this approach acceptable to OGP?
We do not intend to have an expert advisory group for NAP5 as we did for NAP4. The relevant OGP standard is to establish “a space for ongoing dialogue and collaboration between government, civil society, and other non-governmental stakeholders”. We will meet this standard through our online workshops, ongoing dialogue, and progress reports through the implementation phase of the plan.
We discussed our approach with the relevant OGP regional coordinator on Monday 1 September and no issues were raised. As with all of our action plans, the OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism will assess our compliance with the minimum standards.
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What guidance can you provide on the scope of ideas that will be considered for development into NAP5 commitments?
We will start with the 4 focus areas in the Integrity Action Plan. Representatives from the Serious Fraud Office and the Ministry of Justice will attend the workshops, and in between the workshops we will reach out to other agencies about commitment ideas that have come up relevant to their responsibilities. We will be asking what can and cannot be included in the plan.
We already know that work related to increased transparency of beneficial ownership is unlikely to be progressed through the plan. We will provide clarity on ideas that are out of scope as quickly as we can.
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What criteria will ideas need to meet to be considered for commitment development?
We are working to the Minister’s expectation that we deliver a focused action plan, aligned with government expectations.
We are happy to hear all ideas, but the ones most likely to become commitments in NAP5 will:
- Support the focus areas in the Commission’s Integrity Action Plan
- Be achievable without needing extra funding or resources
- Align with what Ministers and agencies are already working on
Commitments could be small but impactful projects, for example research into an area of open government best practice, but agencies might take on new projects if they have the resources. The timeline allows time to talk with agencies about ideas and get their feedback.
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What will happen if civil society or community participants suggest ideas that agencies cannot commit to?
We will record all ideas that are raised but not developed further due to agency indication that they do not align with work plans and make these visible to Ministers.
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Is there resourcing for new work that is identified through the action plan development process? Or will NAP5 only include work that is already resourced?
Resourcing is a challenge for OGP. As with previous action plans, agencies will need to implement commitments from baseline funding. There is no additional funding for OGP so it is unlikely commitments that require significant new resourcing will progress.
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Will there be any commitments that aim to improve civic participation in policy and service design?
We are open to discussing commitments that would raise civic participation, provided they align with one of the 4 focus areas of the Integrity Action Plan.
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Can you share the details of the work programmes sitting under the Integrity Action Plan?
While some of the Integrity Action Plan workstreams are underway, all four focus areas have scope for additional actions through NAP5. We have indicated some “go further” actions that could be suitable for development as OGP commitments. These ideas are not fully-formed yet and there may also be other ideas that emerge through the workshops. We would like to hear your ideas.
Action plan to strengthen Public Service integrity
Some of the workstreams already underway through the Integrity Action Plan include:
- Updating the Code of conduct for the public sector and accompanying training
- Supporting the Serious Fraud Office to deliver its Anti-Corruption Taskforce Pilot
- Using the results of Te Taunaki Public Service Census to inform work to promote integrity
- Improving conflict of interest management guidance
- Improving complaints management guidance, informed by the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
Code of conduct for the public sector
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Will the code of conduct be made available more widely?
The proposed code of conduct for the public service is online now. You can provide feedback online.
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Will NAP5 include commitments that apply outside of the core Public Service?
There is potential for commitments that will apply outside of the public service, for example in relation to foreign bribery. A policy review of the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 is another example of where commitments could reach further than the core Public Service.
Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022
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Will NAP5 contain any commitments to change legislation?
Our experience is that OGP national action plans have not been effective at advancing legislative change in New Zealand. The Government’s legislative agenda is managed through the legislation programme and requires advance planning and prioritisation, so it can be difficult to incorporate new ideas into the legislative agenda at short notice.
Other options to progress legislative change could include researching options for legislative change in the future or to examine best practice approaches internationally. We do not expect that any commitments to amend legislation will be included in NAP5 if they do not align with existing or planned work.
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The proposed code of conduct contains guidance on fostering open government, who has been consulted with on the code?
Consultation on the proposed code of conduct for the public service is underway. You can review the code and provide feedback on our website.
Consultation: Code of Conduct for the public sector
So far, the Commission has consulted those public sector organisations to which the Code will apply. This is a statutory obligation for the Commissioner under section 17(4) of the Public Service Act 2020. Key unions have also been consulted, as there are potential consequences for non-compliance in an employment related context.
Moving forward, we intend to extend consultation to a range of other stakeholders, for example employee-led networks and academics with a particular interest in public sector governance.
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How will you encourage input from communities outside Wellington?
All of our OGP workshops will be hosted online, and our hope is that this will make it easier for people outside Wellington to participate. We’re also working with our colleagues in the Ministry of Social Development-hosted Regional Public Service initiative to help get the word out and encourage input from outside Wellington.
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Who will make the final decisions on NAP5?
Cabinet has agreed that the Minister for the Public Service can approve our final plan. We will hold a public workshop in November where we can discuss the final plan and make any changes before it goes to the Minister in early December.
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Has the Public Service Commission sought cross-party engagement on OGP and NAP5?
No. It would be a decision for the Minister for the Public Service whether to initiate this kind of engagement. We will look for an opportunity to seek the Minister’s view.